Croc Bloc
- 7 routes
- V0 – V5-6
- Bouldering
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Croc Bloc is a bouldering area in Bixby State Preserve in northwest Iowa, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. It sits among several other climbing areas, including A1 Area and The North Slope, both about 0.1 mile away, and She Comes First, about 0.2 mile away. The climbing here is all bouldering, with seven routes ranging from V0 to V5-6. The easiest is the Roof Project at V0, and the hardest is Welcome to Bixby, Bitch. at V5-6. Most of the routes are in the V3-4 range, and the Midwest Rock Violators are credited with several first ascents. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Elkader show May highs around 70°F and September highs around 74°F, with July the warmest month at about 82°F. That station sits about 370 feet lower than the preserve, so temperatures on the boulders run a little cooler. Elk Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 6.4 miles away. Backbone Lake, a fishing lake, is about 8.8 miles away.
- A1 AreaRock climbing0.1 mi
- The North SlopeRock climbing0.1 mi
- She Comes FirstRock climbing0.2 mi
- Elk CreekCanoeing6.4 mi
- Forest EquestrianHiking8 mi
- Ryan Property TrailsHiking8 mi
- Backbone Forest TrailsHiking8.1 mi
- Backbone LakeLake fishing8.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- A1 AreaRock climbing · Next door
- The North SlopeRock climbing · Next door
- She Comes FirstRock climbing · Next door
- The South SlopeRock climbing · Next door
- Mossy GlenRock climbing · ~4 min drive
- Backbone State ParkRock climbing · ~16 min drive
- Backbone EastRock climbing · ~16 min drive
- Drive In WallRock climbing · ~16 min drive
- Devil's BackboneRock climbing · ~16 min drive
- Windy PointRock climbing · ~1h drive
Best time to visit Croc Bloc
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
26° / 6°
8 wet
Feb
31° / 10°
7 wet
Mar
44° / 22°
9 wet
Apr
59° / 34°
10 wet
May
70° / 46°
12 wet
Jun
79° / 56°
12 wet
Jul
82° / 60°
10 wet
Aug
81° / 58°
10 wet
Sep
74° / 48°
9 wet
Oct
62° / 37°
9 wet
Nov
45° / 25°
8 wet
Dec
32° / 14°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Elkader 6 Ssw, IA, 7.4 mi away at 788 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
